V ., 




?fi* .^fct- ■■■ 


;^ 


fflfflkfc 


^ 


hs - -.. • r ~-r ; "5tiS , ir 


i J 


" r 


ii ^ 


n 




r • /^TSPSsr^ 



, *■'■:,■ 




! LIBRARY OF CONGRESS,! 



Chap... 

Shelf ... 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 






p[ ^l^[^[^l^[^ISUgi5irEJ[5UH][5U Hl 



BRIEF FACTS 



ABOUT 



fjOUISVILLE 



ISSUED BY 



The Commercial Club, 



TS/EA.1T 1, 1890. 



fg[^l^[^[^[^l^ig[^[5p[^[5r f61 



H. L. MORROW & CO., PRINTERS, LOUISVILLE, KY. 



\ 



Corner Sixth and Main Streets, 

Louisville, Ky. 



OFFICERS : 

Frank N. Hartwell, President. 
Owen Gathright, Jr., 1st Vice-Prest. 
Frank Von Borries, 2d Vice-Prest. 
Lucien Adkins, Secretary. 
Thomas P. Craig, Ass't Sec'y. 
Jno. M. Borntraeger, Treasurer. 






DIRECTORS : 

FOR ONE YEAR. FOR TWO YEARS. 



John S. Morris, 
Peyton N. Clarke, 
T. J. Batman, 
S. S. Waters, 
Tracy Underhill, 



u 



Angus R. Allmond, 
Alvah L. Terry, 
Geo. Braden, 
E. J. McDermott, 
A. H. Robinson. 



gHJEF p ACTS 

ABOUT LOUISVILLE. 



Population — January I, 1890, 231,021 ; January 1st, 
1880, 123,760; increase in 10 years, 107,261. 

'Situation — Latitude 38 i$'; longitude 85°45 / ; aver- 

\ age elevation above sea level, 440 feet. 

I 

.Area. — Including suburbs, about 18 square miles. 

1 

Centre Of Population. — The centre of population is 
, at present about eighty miles east by north of this 
city and moving westwardly and in the direction of 
Louisville every year. Nearly one-fourth of the 
total population of the United States lived within 
a radius of 300 miles (all within twelve hours rail- 
road travel) of Louisville, at the last census. 

Surroundings. — Vegetables, fruit, dairy and stock- 
farms, besides staple agriculture, timber, sand, clay 
and building materials, all in great variety and 
extent, surround the city in all directions, furnish- 
ing the most favorable conditions for the inhabit- 
ants to live and do business in this centre. 

Healthfulness. — The death rate is lower than that of 
any other city of equal size in the United States, 
namely: 14^ to the thousand. 

Cost of Living. — The cost of living in Louisville is 
reduced to a minimum on account of the very pro- 
ductive soil surrounding the city. Our markets are 
always full of the very best, and at reasonable 
prices. 



Fuel. — Coal is supplied to the manufacturers of the 
city at a cost of from 85 cents to $1.60 per ton on 
yearly contracts. Good grate coal retails at about 
$2.25 per ton. The development of the Kentucky 
coal fields, by the building of new railroads and th<; 
competition of the Pittsburg mines by cheap river 
transportation, insure absolute exemption from any 
scarcity of fuel. 

Natural Gas. — April 1st, 1889, the first natural gas 
main was completed to Louisville from the gas 
fields in Meade County — thirty miles distant. The 
supply at present is about 25,000,000 cubic feet 
daily, and new wells being sunk rapidly. Louisville 
is the first city in the South to use natural gas. 

City Tax Rate. — For 1890 $1.98, property being 
assessed at about two-thirds its full value. Ma- 
chinery used in manufacturing the manufactured 
products are exempt from the city taxation, and no 
license is required from manufacturers. 

Net Bonded Debt.— On January 1st, 1890, $4,983,- 
000. $1,500,000 of new bonds are being issued for 
the improvement of streets. 

"Value of Real Estate. — Assessed value of real estate 
and improvements on Jan. 1st, 1890, $72,663,234;" 
January 1st, 1888, $70,152,534, against $50,194,665 
in 1880; increase in nine years, $22,468,569. 

Banking. — Twenty-one incorporated banks, repre- 
senting a paid up capital of $9,326,800, with an 
aggregate surplus of $3,551,252, having combined 
net deposit of about $22,505,000, the number of 
banking institutions being larger than in any other 
city of like size and population in the United States. 
The above number does not include three private 
banks. All of our banks are peculiarly prosperous, 
and the number of failures and defalcations in the 
history of Louisville banks is strikingly small com- 
pared with other cities. 



l^nk Clearings.— 1888, $301,159,337; total for 1889, 
.'$359,679»462.5i, against $108,219,933 in 1878. 

icrease in Bank Clearings for the year 1889, over 
1888,. $58,520,125.61. 

*rust Companies. — Four strong corporations -with 
: an aggregate capital of $3,000,000. Surplus, $500,- 
j 000, and rapidly increasing. 

ransportation. — Thirty navigable rivers are ac- 
cessible from the wharves. The following railroads 
center within the limits : The Louisville & Nash- 
1 ville; Chesapeake & Ohio; Louisville Southern; 
! Newport News & Mississippi Valley; Louisville & 
JKnoxville; Louisville, Cincinnati & Lexington; 
i Louisville, St. Louis & Texas; Louisville, H. C. & 
I Westport ; Jeffersonville, Madison & Indianapolis ; 
I Louisville, New Albany & Chicago ; Ohio & Missis- 
sippi ; Louisville, Evansville & St. Louis; Louis- 
j ville & Cincinnati, and one belt railroad. The 
i Louisville, Hardinsburg & Western and the Louis- 
/ ville, Cincinnati & Dayton will be built within the 
next year. Two magnificent railroad bridges span 
the Ohio River and the third is now being built. 

Street Railways — Including suburban lines, about 
151 miles of track. Number of passenger carried 
annually from 20,000,000 to 25,000,000. The best 
system of transfers to be found in any city in the 
world, enabling passengers to reach any part of the 
city for one (5 cents) fare. New electric railway 
just opened, giving rapid transit to the business 
part of the city from east to west. 

Hard Lumber. — The proximity to the Kentucky and 
other great forest supplies makes Louisville a lead- 
ing manufacturing and distributing point for hard 
lumber, cooperage, staves, etc. The lumber sales 
last year reached 160,000,000 feet, of which 130,- 
000,000 feet was shipped out as lumber and 30,000,- 
000 feet was manufactured into furniture. 



Terra Cotta and Clay. — The finest and largest terra 
cotta and clay fields in the United States are to be "•- 
found surrounding the city. The clay fields here' 1 
are exceptionally fine in point of color and strength. l 
Louisville is producing as fine colored brick as are ; 
made in the country. It is not generally known, - 
but all that portion of land immediately south of r 
Louisville, formerly known as the "Wet Woods," ' 
embracing thousands of acres, has been fully 
drained and is of the finest terra cotta clay, and 
makes a brilliantly colored and tough brick. Here { 
is a great opportunity for enterprising capital to 
manufacture all-clay wares. The output of bricks 
from Louisville last year was about 35,000,000 — 
■9,000,000 of which was the finest hydraulic 
pressed. Government tests have shown Louisville 
pressed brick to be the strongest in the country. 

it- 
Tobacco. — The greatest tobacco market of the world, »jd 
the annual sales having reached 135,000 hogsheads 
— or about 170,000,000 pounds. This is handled , 
by 17 warehouses, many being among the largest 
and handsomest buildings in the city. In 1888 
Louisville handled 56 per cent, of the whole west- 
ern American tobacco crop. 

Whiskey. — Many of the famous brands of Kentucky 
whiskies are manufactured in distilleries located in 
and around Louisville. This is also the great job- 
bing and distributing center for fine Kentucky 
Bourbon and Rye whiskey. The largest whiskey 
warehouse in the South is located here, and the 
trade amounts to many millions annually. 

Specialties. — Among many other specialties Louis- 
ville manufactures, on a large scale, trunks, stoves, 
marbleized iron and wood mantels, steam fitters' 
supplies, car wheels, engines and machinery, farm 
implements, axes, wood and steel single trees. 

Real Estate. — Cheaper than in any other city of 
similar size in the United States. No boom value. 



Manufacturing Interests. — 1,350 manufacturing 
establishments, turning out annually products 
valued at $65,000,000, and employing 39,000 hands. 
The leading industries may be summarized as fol- 
lows: 

4 Plow Factories, including the largest in the World 
give employment to 2,000 workmen. 

29 Iron Founderies, using annually over 135,000 
tons of iron. Louisville ranks fifth among iron man- 
ufacturing cities of the United States, and is the 
largest pig iron storage market in the Union. 

18 Tanneries, employing $3,000,000 of capital and 
over 600 workmen, turn out 600,000 sides of the 
best oak-tanned harness, sole and belting leather, 
besides 200,000 sheep skins. 

Saddlery Factories for the jobbing and 36 for 
the retail trade, employ $900,000 of capital and 
over 900 hands, and turn out over $2,000,000 worth 
of goods, and pay $400,000 in wages. 
Woolen Mills, with a capital of about $1,500,000, 
employ about 1,500 hands, and turn out goods val- 
ued at $3,500,000 annually. The manufacture of 
jeans clothing from the products of the woolen mill 
is rapidly growing to be a very important industry, 
employing at present about 1,800 persons. 

14 Tobacco Factories, employing many operatives, 
produce about 15,000,000 pounds of manufactured 
plug and smoking tobacco annually. 

14,000 Barrels of Cement were manufactured in 
Louisville during the year 1889. 

The Malting and Brewing interests are very large 
and increasing rapidly. 

Monumental and Granite Works. — Some of the 
largest and finest equipped in the United States 
are located in this city. 

Electric Fire Alarms. — The largest manufactory in 
the world devoted exclusively to the making of elec- 
tric fire alarms and police signal apparatus is con- 
ducted in this city. 



Cotton Mills. — During the present year a new cot- 
ton mill, with a capital of $250,000, employing about 
175 operatives, has commenced operations. 

The Largest Wagon Manufactory in the United 
States is located here, with a number of other estab- 
lishments devoted to the same line of trade. 

Architectural Iron. — Louisville is noted for the 
manufacture of architectural iron, the makers con- 
tracting for buildings in all parts of United States. 

Car Building and Repair Shops of a number of rail- 
roads entering the city cover more than 300 acres of 
land and employ several thousand hands. 

"Where Louisville Excels. — She leads the world in 
Leaf Tobacco, Kentucky Jeans, Jeans Clothing, 
cast Gas and Water Pipe, Plows, Cement, fine Oak- 
Tanned Leather, Plate Glass and fine Whiskies. 

What Louisville Wauts. — The establishment of 
manufactories of small wares and many staple and 
sundry articles, which our jobbing houses are now 
compelled to buy in large quantities elsewhere. 

The position as the central point between the 
producing regions of raw material and the con- 
suming markets for finished goods makes her 
capable of unlimited enlargement as a manufac- 
ing and jobbing center. 

Growth of Business. — Net increase of 261 business 
establishments during the year ending June I, 1889. 

Public Schools. — Thirty-one in number (29 white 
and 6 colored), employing about 400 teachers, and 
attended by 20,355 pupils. 

Public Library. — The Polytechnic Library, free to 
the public, contains over 40,000 volumes, which 
number is being constantly increased. It is open 
thirteen hours, daily, except Sunday. 

Charitable Institutions. — 38 in number — more than 
in any other city of equal size in the country. 

Church Buildings. — 142 in number. 



ABOUT KENTUCKY. 



jFb HE State is in the center of the most densely 
^^ populated portion of the United States. The 
climate is temperate and kind and the cereals can be 
cultivated to the highest perfection. The State has 
an area of 42,000 square miles, and the best natural 
water ways in the Union. It has two coal fields — 
one of 10,000 square miles in the eastern part of the 
State and one of 6,000 square miles in the western* 
part. The coking coal fields are 30 times greater ira 
extent than the Connellsville region of Pennsylvania. 
Coal is mined at the lowest cost. The State abounds 
in fine qualities of hard and soft timbers, iron ore,, 
petroleum, natural gas, building stone, glass sand,, 
lithograpic stone and asphaltum limestone. Within* 
two years over 1,000 miles of railway have been con- 
structed, and about 300 miles of track are now under 
contract and construction. The total mileage at the 
end of 1889, about 3,000. The mountain and hill 
counties are unsurpassed for fruit raising — and the 
famous Blue Grass Region is the garden spot of 
America. 




VeJ^ 



COMMERCIAL CLUB BUILDING 

Will be completed about September 1st. The largest 
and finest office building in the Southwest. 



MEMBERSHIP OF CLUB 

May 1st, 1890, 1137. 



ps^rHB-^s 



lommercial Club Building 




Now Under Construction. 



TEN STORIES HIGH 



COST $400,000.00 



LOUISVILLE 



-zypr^ 



— THE — 



MBTROPOIylS 



OF THE 



NEW SOUTH' 



^ICE>E> SITES 



FOR THE 



OLOCATIONO 



— OF — 



MANUFACTURING PLANTS. 



Any further information may be had 
on application to 

LUCIEN ADKINS, 

Sec*y Commercial Club, 
LOUISVILLE, KY 



- 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




014 571986 * 



< 



'jfe>>: 






